Niners dust off the sports world’s biggest double standard

Excuses are made for star players who get in trouble. Examples are made of marginal players who do.

The latest example of a guy for whom a team will look the other way comes from San Francisco, where there’s no way the 49ers will take action against linebacker Aldon Smith, even if he was allegedly drunk behind the wheel of a car and in possession of marijuana at 7:00 a.m. on a work day.

“That’s pretty exclusive to the league, well it is,” coach Jim Harbaugh said regarding whether the team would discipline Smith. “They have exclusive rights to the consequences and there will be consequences. There always is. Good or bad, we all have consequences.”

As I said on NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk on Friday evening, that’s baloney. Or perhaps another word starting with B.

Teams can do whatever they want in response to player misconduct. Last year, for example, the Steelers suspended defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu two games after a DUI arrest. He could have fought the team’s attempt to circumvent the NFL’s “exclusive rights,” but he didn’t.

Eventually, and inevitably, a 49ers player without the skills possessed by Aldon Smith will get in trouble. And the 49ers will suspend him or deactivate him or cut him.

That’s OK. That’s the way it works. It would be nice if NFL teams were honest about a distinction that, right or wrong, always has been and always will be part of team sports.

As a Niners fan their response is really disappointing. They need to come down hard on Smith. The league will anyway, so why not demonstrate some team integrity and accountability? Suspend him for 4-6 games and make a statement that the lives of all the potential victims of his outrageous stupidity are more important than a better chance to win this weekend’s football game.

One of the reasons I detest Jim Harbaugh. I hope the Colts rip’em to shreds! If this was an opposing team, Harbaugh would be all over it!

brooklynniner19 says:Sep 21, 2013 12:23 AM

Enough already! Jim Harbaugh job is to win football games. Not give life lessons on morals or preach right from wrong to grown ass men. ALdon will play this weekend and put his sack total to 6 !! haha Go 49ers! Haters keep hating because your team sucks !

Aldon your an idiot, I lost my 18 year old cousin to a drunk driver like you. Hope you go to jail.

tonyugoh says:Sep 21, 2013 12:40 AM

Its sad that this is the way (for example Bill Parcells didn’t punish Lawrence Taylor despite all his antics) but thats sports in general, and Smith sells tickets and is a key player so the 49ers will stay away from that stuff.

As for the punishment from the league, if Von Miller got 6 games for weed (why the league tests for weed but not HGH is beyond me), Smith should get at least that considering that this is a more serious actual criminal offense (his second offense, btw) and he was found with weed in his car. Smith should get at least 8 games, and the 49ers better pray that this punishment isn’t handed down in the second half of the season.

What a load of crap! Last year the same scenario occurred in SF. Special Teams player Demarcus Dobbs was busted on a Friday for DUI and possession of Marijuana. He was subsequently NOT allowed to travel with the team to the game that weekend, yet signs point to Aldon Smith being able to make the trip. Explain that Harbaugh!

An athlete who is rich for the first time in his life, who is famous for the first time in his life, who own a fancy home for the first time in his life, who has fancy clothes for the first time in his life, who has a fancy car for the first time in his life, who has women (even with his big ears) for the first time in his life, who has access to the alcohol, maryjane and pills for the first time in his life, and doesn’t have a college coach or mom to watch him like a hawk for the first time in his life. Immaturity. Can’t handle all the freedoms in his life. Look at him, I mean really look at him…he’s not too bright. No ones around to keep him on track…just a kid. Kids can kill too. Could happen sooner thn later. Needs an intervention by the people who love him. Plain and simple.

The league needs to let Sf know that if they don’t discipline him, the league will, and if the league has to they probably won’t like the outcome

rainponcho87 says:Sep 21, 2013 1:20 AM

Completely separate from this story, but somehow what Jim Harbaugh said about Seahawks and PEDs is constantly twisted. He never said anything about players with off the field issues. He only said you shouldn’t cheat to win. It was entirely about PEDs, not about his players being choir-boys. I think it is irresponsible journalism to keep equating those two things. No wonder he hates the media.

brooklynniner19 says:
Sep 21, 2013 12:23 AM
Enough already! Jim Harbaugh job is to win football games. Not give life lessons on morals or preach right from wrong to grown ass men. ALdon will play this weekend and put his sack total to 6 !! haha Go 49ers! Haters keep hating because your team sucks !

—-

Unless your team happens to be the Seahawks, in which case, you own the niners and their fans.

Man…couple years ago it would’ve been easier to find bigfoot then a 49ers fan, now everyone in the world is one and has always been one and will always be one……until they become Broncos fans….or Seahawks or whoever else gets good…lol. I’ve been a fins fan thru thick and thin and always will be…that being said. No way the 9ers suspend this guy he is too important to there defense.

When using the term “haters” you are revealing you are a 15 year old girl or at least have the mind of one.

jchuber says:Sep 21, 2013 1:48 AM

Please folks, remember to refer to this bunch of clowns as the “forty-whiners”, and their cry baby coach.

The forty-whiners are always mistreated!!!!

dukeearl says:Sep 21, 2013 2:23 AM

Without some type of intervention, he will likely kill some innocent before he racks up enough karma to pay for it.
Would be nice if somebody somewhere did something before a person takes the place of the tree.

Didn’t this happen less than 24hrs ago? I mean I get that a lot of people don’t like harbaugh and the Niners but how bout giving them a chance to get all the facts before disciplining him. I’m not sticking up for Aldon, this is his second one and should be suspended, but we all know that initial reports are sometimes wrong.

Clearly, I’m a 49ers fan, but this story sickens me. 7am and you’re drunk 50+ hours before a “redemption game,” a couple of weeks after being accused of being drunk & firing shots in the air with illegal guns… A year after being stabbed at your own house party. 20 months after being arrested for another DUI? WTF? Play football, make millions and drink later in the comfort of your own mansion!!!

bigguy54 says:Sep 21, 2013 3:44 AM

brooklynniner19 says:
Sep 21, 2013 12:23 AM
Enough already! Jim Harbaugh job is to win football games. Not give life lessons on morals or preach right from wrong to grown ass men. ALdon will play this weekend and put his sack total to 6 !! haha Go 49ers! Haters keep hating because your team sucks !

————————————————————-

“Harbaugh’s job is to not give life lessons or preach right from wrong to grown ass men”

But it is OK to stick is nose into other teams and boldly claim his team is above reproach. LOL What a bunch of BS. I love how this guy keeps showing what a tool he is.

Also, who’s team sucks? You remember last week right? I know, it was only one game, it didn’t mean anything. Seattle cheats, because the fans are too loud. How many more excuses can you come up with? OH YEAH, the team cheats, they are all on PED’s. You got me because we all know taking some performance enhancing drug sure beats driving around at 7am in the shape he was in.

fdugrad says:Sep 21, 2013 4:18 AM

How proud his dad, the former coach must be of Jimmy. I certainly hope Jimmy didn’t learn this sterling example of warped judgement at the foot of his dad. This is an outrage and disgrace. I truly hope, but doubt brother John calls and sets his brother’s broken compass to due north.

ialwayswantedtobeabanker says:Sep 21, 2013 4:33 AM

That’s not just a “sports (double) standard.” That’s commonplace in most lines of work – if an employee is easily replaceable, his/her margin for error is much smaller than an employee who is indispensable.

Nothing new here. Lets face the facts Football players , Soccer, Hockey, Baseball etc etc are investments, commodity`s etc they aint going to shut a machine down that goes wrong that wins or makes the company money.

The NFL better come down hard on this guy or I’ll be p.i. s.s.e.d. they suspended Williams and Davis for the last 4 games of the 2011 season for marajuania so they better drug test his a.s.s. ASAP and I expect at least the same for this idiot.

wikipediasaidso says:Sep 21, 2013 7:19 AM

Eventually, and inevitably, a 49ers player without the skills possessed by Aldon Smith will get in trouble. And the 49ers will suspend him or deactivate him or cut him.
==========

Somewhere back east again, Brandon Jacobs is laughing. And believe me, I can’t stand Jacobs. He’s a loudmouth, narcissistic jerk. But the kind of trouble he usually stirs up with that big mouth pales in comparison to Smith’s troubles.

The fact that between Harbaugh and Jacobs, it would be tough for me to decide for whom I have the least respect, pretty much sums up how I feel about Harbaugh.

If Marshawn Lynch hasnt been suspended yet by the NFL, Neither is Aldon..

donmcg2012 says:Sep 21, 2013 7:32 AM

Jim Harbaugh just proved he’s a non caring win at all cost moron. I bet if Smith would have plowed into his wifes car while drunk he’s feel different. I hope the nfl makes an example of him and suspends Smith for 3 games.

melikefootball says:Sep 21, 2013 7:41 AM

The only team I have seen step up to the plate for arrested DUI’s was the Steelers. If I remember correctly they suspended one of their tackles. Hairball is just what we thought he was.

@t8ertot
Stallworth was a completely different circumstance buddy. He was .01 over the legal limit not double like Smith, he hit a man running across the highway which is illegal and call me crazy, not exactly a safe idea, and Stallworth was cognizant enough to call 911 when it went down. Aldon Smith was trashed, had dope and pills on him when he ran into a tree with his foot still on the accelerator when the 5-0 showed up after a neighbor called it in. Also worth noting, you do remember Donte got a year suspension from the league right?

Nobody cares about this stuff when it comes to sports players, teams care about two things:

WINNING and MONEY and the players know it.

getyourownname says:Sep 21, 2013 8:34 AM

Another example of how NFL is much more hypocritical than college football. Oh, wait.

But it is reassuring to know that when Florio was a practicing lawyer, out of dedication to consistent treatment, he never argued in favor of a result that was best for his client that might have been different from a result that other parties in similar position received.

lovefootball4life says:Sep 21, 2013 8:39 AM

I’m not for or against the niners usually but I am really surprised. Teams with integrity don’t do this. They see the bigger picture: the message it sends to fans, younger players, the community, the league, etc. Whether its a common double standard or not is irrelevant, this is just wrong.

ketch20too says:Sep 21, 2013 8:40 AM

People like Smith have been given a pass their whole lives, that is why so many of them act like immature little p unks

Harbaugh was on scene in 3 minutes complaining to the arresting officers that they were cuffing the other teams drivers. He followed to the jail to complain to the booking officer that he wasn’t booking any of the other teams drivers.

rmc1995 says:Sep 21, 2013 9:02 AM

Odds are the league will dole out a punishment and then perhaps the court system will punish Smith appropriately if he’s found guilty. Do we need a third party to dole out another punishment to satisfy those holding the pitch forks and torches?

can’t stand harbaugh or the 49ers. but why would they go the extra mile to punish Smith? the league SHOULD handle this accordingly. the teams job is to win football games and Smith on the field gives them a better chance of it. what the real irritating part of this is the constant legal punishments that seem to disappear or reduce to a laughing point. these grown men need to be held as accountable to the LAW as you and I. remember the old Barkley commercial “I am not a role model” ? athletes aren’t and shouldn’t b looked at as such.

As a huge 49er fan for as long as I can remember, this disgusts and disappoints me beyond words. This isn’t the first time Smith has had issues…his list is growing weekly it seems. I would so much rather be a team of integrity and lose a few more games, than allow guys like this to play in the hopes of winning even more. Singletary saved Vernon Davis’s career and he was just being an on-field punk, not endangering the lives of other people. I wish Harbaugh would do the same for Smith…

Stallworth was a completely different circumstance buddy. He was .01 over the legal limit not double like Smith, he hit a man running across the highway which is illegal and call me crazy, not exactly a safe idea, and Stallworth was cognizant enough to call 911 when it went down. Aldon Smith was trashed, had dope and pills on him when he ran into a tree with his foot still on the accelerator when the 5-0 showed up after a neighbor called it in. Also worth noting, you do remember Donte got a

** if i recall, what helped Stallworth was the fact that the way this happened, the guy would have probably been hit even if DS had been sober

He definitely would be gone from most teams! It did not take long for the Bucs to dump Aquib Talib after his off field troubles. Talib has talent and he is showing it in New England! This will most likely come back to hurt the 49ers. If Harbaugh won’t take care of his house cleaning, then someone above his pay grade should!

billsfan1
Thank you. I wanted to voice that same thing about Stallworth. He also did do some time for the incident, and was suspended from the league for a year. I believe he came around a corner and there was a man in the road and could not avoid him.

This is not even close to his first offense, on which you DO have your license taken away for quite a while, and you have to take classes yo get it back, and it affects every aspect of your life. We had a friend picked up for this, and he sure didn’t just walk away with a slap on the wrist, and it was a FIRST OFFENSE! People don’t expect them held to a higher standard…….it would be nice if they were held to ANY STANDARD! But they are not because people like Jim Harbaugh prize winning above all else!

All you 49er haters are full of it! If the shoe were on the other foot, you would ALL be saying that “it is up to the league”. I am in sales, and the saying ” a multitude of sales covers a multitude of sins” is from the corporate world, and is the way America is!! So get off your high horses, look in the mirror, and put your jealousy where it belongs.

The only irony in all this is that Aldon Smith is most likely going to kill a Niner fan with this sort of behavior.

peytonsneck18 says:Sep 21, 2013 10:03 AM

Jim Douchebaugh

jobotjones says:Sep 21, 2013 10:21 AM

great example for the kids out there…be good at ball and you can do whatever the hell you want…I mean this guy wont even miss a down of football for doing something that could have seriously injured or even killed himself or an innocent bystander.

Niner and Seahawk fan’s can’t tell difference between confidence and arrogance. Smith had a league banned substance on him and niner fans will poo poo it away cause of arrogance. Same with speed gate with Seahawk fans. Your coaches arrogance will be downfall of both teams.

May I just take this moment to remind you all that in addition to drunk driving, Aldon Smith actually shot someone?

sbaltimore says:Sep 21, 2013 10:46 AM

Ravens fan here. John Harbaugh is exactly the same way. He’d run out on the field and grab some low level player by the jersey for some dumb penalty (i.e. personal foul/unsportsmanlike conduct, etc.) and then completely look the other way when a “star” player did the same thing. He also whines at the refs during every single game. There is a definite commonality to the Harbaughs.

(Yeah… this is why Harbaugh and Carroll are the worst two coaches in the league, and will never get a ring.)

I do not like either of these guys or their respective teams, but you are wrong in that they both, are pretty dang good coaches. now what they and/or their bosses do to the player involved is up to them, no one (thank god) was hurt or killed so suspend them, fire them, or have them publically shammed we don’t really care!

49ers Hypocrites? Noooo way buster!! I mean, how do you figure? I’ve never seen them whine for over a whole week about cheap shots while they give them out themselves or anything.

albinorhino49 says:Sep 21, 2013 10:52 AM

Ever here of Corey Lemonier? Well, you will. He will be just as good or better than Aldon. Yeah… We run that deep.

ghost26 says:Sep 21, 2013 11:09 AM

‘Actually, Stallworth served his prison sentence without appealing it. I believe he was behind bars for quite a bit.’

Goaway,

Actually…He was in jail for less than a month. How is that quite a bit’ for killing someone while driving a car under the influence of alcohol???

rainponcho87 says:Sep 21, 2013 11:10 AM

goawayeverybody:

He didn’t shoot anyone. Even the person filing the lawsuit isn’t claiming that. They are saying he fired shots in the air at the end of the party. Someone outside the party got scared and thought they were being shot at, so they fired back and hit the person suing.

That said, behavior like that and now this is pretty mystifying. Everything on the football field is going really well for him. He was one of the few 49ers to actually have a good game against the Seahawks. Even if he didn’t have an accident, being wasted Thursday AM before a practice? That points to a serious problem. Guy needs help. His rookie contract will be expiring. 49ers were trying to figure a way to keep him financially. He just hurt himself in that regard tremendously. Either they give up on him or get him at a bargain. If he goes elsewhere he won’t get the same $.

For all the haters above, what if he does hit the open market and your favorite team can get him at a bargain? What will you say then? Yeah, I thought so. Fans are no more above it than management.

1) Kapernoob failed and choked in the SB just last season, every opposing team is
ready to knock of the 9ers who represented in the SB for the NFC.

2) The running game isn’t as good with Kapernoob as it was with Alex Smith and
Gore the work horse of the 9ers RB is past 30.

3) Kapernoob’s offense march down the field much faster, unlike with Alex Smith,
which weakens the 9er defense cause they have to be on the field longer and more often

4) This is Kaper”noob”‘s 1st full season though every opposing defense
have game tape on him and the overused unsurprising QB option.

5) The 49ers WR CROP still fails even though Harb and Baalke has had 3 Seasons to
improve and fix it.

6) Seattle has improved both on defense and offense roster wise, they are even harder to beat
at home with the 12th man now and will have a very good record, which means they have a good chance of winning the division and gaining home field advantage through out play-offs.

7) Aldon’s DUI doesn’t help anything, , in fact it makes Harb look like a HC with no discipline and the team look bad.

Harb’s constant whining and double talk about players and to the media is Bad
Karma and it shows.

9) Kapernoob’s over hyper over rated off season publicity, commercials, magazines
got to his head, he showed his true maturity by sporting a dolphins hat and got defiant about it when confronted by fans. He needs to be knocked off of his high horse and realize he isn’t elite yet and he
hasn’t earn that status, maturity or respect.

Harbaugh is no stranger to double standards. Take all the complaining he did before the Green Bay game about the rules on hitting read-option QBs after a handoff, saying he didn’t agree.

So what happens the next week when they’re playing the Hawks. They send a guy straight to Wilson to blow him up after a read-option handoff. One set of rules for him. Another more strictly enforced set of rules for the 31 other teams.

No comparison to Stallworth. Yes, a man was killed, but his alcholol level was MUCH lower than Smith’s and the pedestrian ran out on the highway. (This does not justify what happened.) But Stallworth served time, paid a fine and was suspended for a year. Mr. Smith is an accident waiting to happen – drugs, speed, alcholol and guns.

I can’t wait to see Pepsi’s next commercial with Harbaugh and Smith toking it up and chasing it off with a Pepsi while telling Pop Warner kids to keep doing their drills.

What do you think about that, Pepsi?

sbaltimore says:Sep 21, 2013 11:38 AM

@grandsonofcoach

And Jim displayed the exact same double standard when he kept whining about the phantom holding call in the Super Bowl. I can still see that image of him yanking on his arm over and over again (fortunately it was just his arm), trying to get the refs to throw a flag for holding. First of all, the contact was within the five yards where contact is allowed. But more importantly, HIS team did THE EXACT SAME THING against Atlanta the week before. In fact, it’s because of that play that the 9ers GOT to the Super Bowl. So yeah…Jim…it’s time for you to seriously grow up, and shut up. And the same for your brother John. (Is Harbaugh Sr the same? Did the fruit not fall too far from the family tree?)

Locally, here in the Bay Area, some 49er fans are saying that the 49ers are becoming the Raiders.
Kenny Stabler knew how to party all night, show up to work the next day without smashing his car into somebody’s driveway.

pokedoke206 says:Sep 21, 2013 11:58 AM

U know what’s a double standard is how reporters on espn and cbs and all that give excuses for why them white boys who are qbs but if its a black man like cam newton its all his fault somehow like who is he throwing to?

You’re right. Harbaugh never cheated while coaching in college then bailed on his team after the NCAA investigation and it started handing down punishment. Carroll is a cheater and a fraud.

@ blakeinfla

Ok so your the ONE proud Dolphin fan in your state. Don’t have the audacity or ignorance to call the Niner Faithful bandwagon. Candlestick has been sold out for EVERY SINGLE GAME since 1982. We have never had to tarp off seats and endure blackouts like your sorry team due to fair weather hacks like you.

@alexsmithblahblahblah

This defines how pathetic the Seattle bandwagon has become. You don’t have the testicular fortitude to come out as a know nothing SEA troll so you insult the Niners vicariously posing as a KC fan. Your teams success is based on thw home games pumped in stadium noise and PEDs, deal with it. FYI the Cardinals started 4-0 last year too.

billh1947 says:Sep 21, 2013 12:14 PM

Just getting nailed with the dope in his car should be enough to earn a nice suspension and being drunker than a homeless wino at 7 in the morning should result in a visit to B

By January, the Niner fans around here will have forgotten all the hate spewed against them and their coach around here as we watch our Niners win playoff games. Most of you will be crying big wet tears over your loser teams and your loser lives.

And, if someone can explain to me why Marshawn Lynch’s DUI is a matter for the league that plays out over the course of more than one season while Marshawn continues to play and hasn’t missed a game, but Aldon Smith’s DUI isn’t, please by all means do so.

The 49ers suspended a player named Demarcus Dobbs not too long ago for similar charges.

And Dobbs wasn’t passed out drunk, high and on some kind of pills, all while being behind the wheel in a busy city during rush hour.

jayniner says:Sep 21, 2013 1:14 PM

Not understand where all this hostility is coming from, towards the Niners….

Harbaugh clearly said there will be consequences for Smith. If the league comes down next week and suspends Smith 4 games, what’s the point in Harbaugh doing that now? He’s waiting to see what the league does first.

And while I don’t condone or approve of Aldon’s actions and decision making, he has not been tried, or convicted, in a court of law….yet. He’ll probably be convicted and serve some jail time, which might be a good thing for him to experience. After all, a DUI with damage to another vehicle, property or pedestrian, is a FELONY.

I’m pretty sure the legal system will give him the shock of his life, so whatever the NFL and 49ers do will pale in comparison to what a judge will most likely do.

For those thinking Harbaugh’s ought to be the hand of justice, I’m pretty sure team president Jed York and GM Trent Baalke would hand out any team discipline, not the coach. Speaking of Harbaugh, he pretty much openly acknowledged in his press conference that the league is going to suspend Aldon Smith. What would be the point in a team suspension if everyone already knows that the NFL is going to hand one out? Double jeopardy much?

But being so drunk and stoned he couldn’t figure out to take his foot off the gas makes me think nothing would have been easy for him at that particular juncture.

rainponcho87 says:Sep 21, 2013 3:28 PM

sminco123:

“I don’t care if he plays or not….. but wasn’t Harbaugh just commenting on some problems that Seattle was having off the field? Glass houses John, glass houses.”

———————————————————–

for the 1000th time, he was responding to a question about Seattle’s PED violations, saying he would not want to cheat to win. He never said anything about anyone’s off field behavior issues. You may not like Harbaugh, but don’t not like him for something he didn’t say.

I’m not saying the Colts are choir boys…but take this example. In 2010, punter Pat McAfee got drunk and decided it would be a good idea to go for a swim in the Broad Ripple Canal. He got arrested for Public Intox, and was suspended by the Colts for a game. The Colts had to sign a punter for that one week. Yes I know he’s a punter, but still. He wasn’t driving, didn’t hurt anyone, and apologized (in his own words, not from a script made by his agent)…They also cut their 6th round draft pick after he was arrested for drunk/disorderly. And he had looked really good in camp..and now the Colts are thin at LB with Angerer out. Smith should not be playing tomorrow, and the fact that he is is a slap in the face to the regular joes that get fired for this stuff

U know what’s a double standard is how reporters on espn and cbs and all that give excuses for why them white boys who are qbs but if its a black man like cam newton its all his fault somehow like who is he throwing to?
—————————————–

brooklynniner19 says:
Sep 21, 2013 12:23 AM
Enough already! Jim Harbaugh job is to win football games. Not give life lessons on morals or preach right from wrong to grown ass men. ALdon will play this weekend and put his sack total to 6 !! haha Go 49ers! Haters keep hating because your team sucks !

————————————————————-

“Harbaugh’s job is to not give life lessons or preach right from wrong to grown ass men”

But it is OK to stick is nose into other teams and boldly claim his team is above reproach. LOL What a bunch of BS. I love how this guy keeps showing what a tool he is.

Also, who’s team sucks? You remember last week right? I know, it was only one game, it didn’t mean anything. Seattle cheats, because the fans are too loud. How many more excuses can you come up with? OH YEAH, the team cheats, they are all on PED’s. You got me because we all know taking some performance enhancing drug sure beats driving around at 7am in the shape he was in.
_________________________________

Certainly alcohol represents empty calories.

And left handed cigarettes can lure us into making poor nutritional choices.